I'm wondering if those with children are forgetting that they can use your key and have fun on the radio, a great way for them to be excited in learning CW. Naturally it will help if they know some CW to start with, but you can also hold their hand. The only thing you need to do is supervise and operate the VFO and ensure the transmission is legal, e.g. ID every 10 minutes at least. But in between that they can use your TX. So I'm wondering if folks with kids with them have considered this and given it a try.

I would be surprised it is not legal in Belge, I think all Europe would now be the same. Maybe worth checking again license conditions as they do keep changing and they no longer supply hard copy of the conditions with licenses? Certainly legal in G, OZ, K, VK, and I would think all of EU. But as I suspect, I do not think most hams are aware of this, and we may be missing opportunities to promote CW and amateur radio even in our own homes.

Technically, in the UK the only time an unlicenced person can actually control the operation of a rig to transmit is when they are a student on a recognised Foundation course, and being supervised by a Full licence holder.

A Full licence holder may also permit an unlicenced person to send a message, but only if the radio equipment is operated by the licence holder. That's usually taken to mean the licence holder has control of the transmit button. When my rig's in CW mode, the action of closing the key's contact puts the rig into transmit, so I'd have a hard time arguing that I was operating it if someone else's hand was on the key.

Good to know about Europe! I've been away a long time. Yes, so perhaps it is NOT legal for someone to key a CW TX under your supervision, only speak into a microphone?

Can anyone untangle this legalese...? I think b) and/or c) may actually allow the on-off keying (iCW) of a TX under supervision:

(1A) In this Determination, unless the contrary intention appears, operate, in relation to a station, means take an action to control the operation of the station or of a transmitter that is part of the station, other than:

(a) in relation to an amateur standard station or an amateur advanced station — an action taken by a person who is not a qualified operator or a qualified person, that is done in the presence of and under the supervision of a qualified operator or qualified person, to activate by switch or voice a microphone connected to a transmitter, when the operation of the transmitter:

(i) is limited to causing the transmitter to transmit or to cease to transmit; and

(ii) is otherwise controlled by the qualified operator or qualified person; or

(b) in relation to an amateur standard station or an amateur advanced station — an action taken by a person who is not a qualified operator or a qualified person, that is done in the presence of and under the supervision of a qualified operator or qualified person, to control the operation of a transmitter while being trained or examined for the purpose of becoming a qualified operator; or

(c) in relation to an amateur standard station or an amateur advanced station — an action taken by a person who is not a qualified operator or a qualified person, to activate by switch or voice a microphone connected to a transmitter through a public telecommunications network if:

(i) the action is limited to causing the transmitter to transmit or to cease to transmit; and

(ii) the operation of the transmitter is otherwise controlled by a qualified operator or qualified person present at the transmitter;

I'm wondering if those with children are forgetting that they can use your key and have fun on the radio, a great way for them to be excited in learning CW. Naturally it will help if they know some CW to start with, but you can also hold their hand. The only thing you need to do is supervise and operate the VFO and ensure the transmission is legal, e.g. ID every 10 minutes at least. But in between that they can use your TX. So I'm wondering if folks with kids with them have considered this and given it a try.

I have tried this with my kids (ages 8-10) and grandkids (ages 8-10). Can you say "dummy load" children? No need to worry what they "send". I crank the power down to the minimum, and connect the dummy load. Great fun. For about 10 minutes.

So a 'field day' activity doesn't happen. How is new interest mustered?

Certainly not (for the most part) during Field Day events, if only because most of the big FD stations are out in fields well away from the general public.

Special Event Stations, on the other hand, often happen at places (like museums, historic buildings, and so on) to which the public have access, and they're often organised so as to attract spectators. Quite likely they'll have displays and activities associated with the actual station. One quite common side-show is a Morse key and sounder (or two) for visitors to play with (not on-the-air).

If you are letting an unlicensed person communicate over your station, make sure to abide by the 3rd party regulations. Your guest operator is considered a 3rd party communications so it would be illegal for him to use your station to communicate with any country that does not have a 3rd party agreement with the U.S. As the control operator, you are the one responsible for legal operation.

My kids have spoken to others using a voice mode, but I doubt that they'd ever spend the time to learn CW in order to use the radio.

I have tried this with my kids (ages 8-10) and grandkids (ages 8-10). Can you say "dummy load" children? No need to worry what they "send". I crank the power down to the minimum, and connect the dummy load. Great fun. For about 10 minutes.

And perfectly legal in the US under Part 15, so long as the dummy load doesn't radiate much and the power level is low enough, per 47 CFR §15.223.

Quote from: FCC Part 15

§15.223 Operation in the band 1.705-10 MHz.

(a) The field strength of any emission within the band 1.705-10.0 MHz shall not exceed 100 microvolts/meter at a distance of 30 meters. However, if the bandwidth of the emission is less than 10% of the center frequency, the field strength shall not exceed 15 microvolts/meter or (the bandwidth of the device in kHz) divided by (the center frequency of the device in MHz) microvolts/meter at a distance of 30 meters, whichever is the higher level. For the purposes of this section, bandwidth is determined at the points 6 dB down from the modulated carrier. The emission limits in this paragraph are based on measurement instrumentation employing an average detector. The provisions in §15.35(b) for limiting peak emissions apply.

(b) The field strength of emissions outside of the band 1.705-10.0 MHz shall not exceed the general radiated emission limits in §15.209.

§15.209 says 30 uV/m at 30 meters between 1.7 and 30 MHz.

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